issue 15// volume 44 The miracle continues > ‘Level 8’ album review Duncan Fingarson Senior Columnist t the tail end of 2017—after the Other Press went on break for the holidays—an event came around that I look forward to every year. Not Christmas, no, but close to it: Gavin Dunne released his latest album. Dunne is more commonly known as Miracle of Sound, an Irish indie musician who releases quality music based on pop culture. Level 8, the latest release, is different in a few ways from its predecessors— it’s one of the shortest of the Level albums, topping Level 6’s 15 tracks by 1, a remastered version of Mother Earth from the metal album. It also has quite a few guest vocalists, and more songs based on movies and TV shows. The album opens with “The Great Unknown,’ the track for Mass Effect: Andromeda. The song is a good opener, laden with both traditional instruments and electronic sound reminiscent of previous Mass Effect songs. “The Moment” is a rock song about seizing the day, intended as a tribute to Wonder Woman. Both are good, but not exactly standout tracks. In my opinion, the first big hit of the album is “Upside Down,” the Stranger Things song. It’s the 80s incarnate, full of backing synth and echoing vocals. There’s an undercurrent of menace very appropriate for the atmosphere of the show, and the song does an excellent job evoking the feel of its source material. Following on prior Game of Thrones songs for characters such as Tyrion and Daenerys, Level 8 has two tracks dedicated to the popular HBO show. Jon Snow and Arya Stark both get the Miracle of Sound treatment. Jon’s track features some heavy guitar and powerful vocals, with very few moments of calm. Arya’s is almost the opposite, with rhythmic drums, floating strings and melodic vocal work provided by guest singer Karliene. It’s a more relaxed song than Jon’s, but still very much a fitting tribute to the character. “Force of Nature” is another standout song. It’s technically a duet, but the focus is very much on the female vocalist. The song arts // no. 7 the top. For me, that place goes to “Replica.” “Replica” is a bit of a strange choice for number one, I'll be first to admit. 2017's Prey was largely an overlooked game, and when I first heard this song T hadn't yet played it. Consequently, I didn’t like it as much as I do now. It’s one of very few songs where I do recommend checking out the source material first, as a complete run-through of Prey will greatly enhance your experience of this song. On its own it’s still good, but in this case, a little bit of context can go a long way. Overall, Level 8 is a solid entry in Miracle of Sound’s discography. It is deep and complex, featuring multiple layers of instrumentals. It follows on the heels of “Into the Wild,” the best word for which is “soaring.” These two are among the best songs on the album... but not quite Digital bio-tourism 1n the face of Earth's next great extinction > How programs like ‘Planet Earth’ and ‘Blue Planet’ can distract from the issues at hand Jacey Gibb Distribution Manager n 2016, the gorgeous and traversing Planet Earth I was released by the BBC. The six-episode series took almost six years to complete, and required a menagerie of technology and filming techniques to capture different habitats, from deserts to islands. This is nature like you've never experienced it before; the kind of program that makes going outside and standing in the forest feel subpar by comparison. However, some critics warn there are unexpected consequences from seeing these wonderful, unique creatures on our television screens. In its final episode, “Cities,” Planet Earth IT looks at how growing urban communities affect animal populations— with some species actually thriving because of human development. The number of leopards in Indian cities has grown, with readily available prey such as dogs and pigs. Gray langur monkeys in Jodhpur are seen as descendants of a god, so residents regularly bring offerings of flowers and fruits. With protection from humans and without natural predators, there have even been documented cases of langurs successfully raising twins, a rarity in the wild due to the impracticality of raising more than one offspring at a time. However, “Cities” also explores the grimmer impacts of human development. Light pollution from coastal cities confuses baby sea turtle populations, with newborns mistaking streetlamps for moonlight reflecting off the water. Instead of crawling towards the ocean, nearly half of newborn sea turtles crawl towards the city, where they fall into storm drains, are picked off by predators, or are crushed under passing traffic. Critics of Planet Earth I and similar programs claim that by spotlighting unique species from around the world, attention is being taken away from the very real crises facing animal populations. Last year, a study from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science concluded, “from a quantitative viewpoint, that Earth’s sixth mass extinction is more severe than perceived when looking exclusively at species extinctions.” Even species that are considered to be “low concern,’ as opposed to endangered or worse, experienced significant drops in population sizes and number of geographic areas where the species is found. These types of reports and conclusions aren't new, though. Back in 20u, the UN Environment Programme reported that between 150 to 200 different species of plants or animals go extinct everyday, from a combination of habitat loss, pollution, over- or illegal hunting, or climate change. The creative minds behind documentary series like Planet Earth II say that exposure to the natural world will help foster more environmentally- conscious citizens, who will see these animals and want to protect them. Often, though, the impending dangers and struggles of these animals appear as mere footnotes at the end of a segment, mentioning how habitats are shrinking or how a diminishing food supply is putting a strain on the population. Upcoming art show features Douglas students and staff > Reception for ‘past present future’ takes place this Thursday Caroline Ho Arts Editor his Thursday, look out for the artwork of fellow students, staff, and other members of the Douglas College community at the reception for the Amelia Douglas Gallery’s latest exhibit. On January u, the gallery opens its doors again to past present future, a group show featuring the artwork of current students, current employees, and retired employees. past present future contains work by 31 artists, with most exhibiting one to three of their creations. According to the media advisory, the show will contain a diverse range of styles, including “paintings, drawings, mixed media, photography, ceramics, video installation, and more.” The exhibit’s opening reception will be held on Thursday at the gallery from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., with many of the artists in attendance. The reception is free and open to all, and includes refreshments, live music, and a cash bar. The Amelia Douglas Gallery holds an employee and student exhibit once every several years, with the previous show taking place in 2015. The upcoming exhibit, as suggested by its title, celebrates members of the Douglas community at all stages in their studies and careers, including students who represent the future, whether or not they choose to pursue careers in the arts. doesn’t have any tracks that quite live up to the standard set by songs like “Hard Cash” and “Lady of Worlds,” but all of the songs are consistently good, and there are no major flops. However, if these series reveal too much of a bias, they run the risk of losing credibility. For example, in the “Big Blue” episode of Blue Planet If, narrator David Attenborough describes how a female pilot whale refuses to abandon her now-deceased calf; Attenborough then quickly leads into how, “In top predators like these, industrial chemicals can build up to lethal levels, and plastic could be part of the problem.” Plastics, either in larger form or ona micro level, are absolutely a threat to marine life, but viewers picked up on how unsubstantiated Attenborough’s conclusion was that the calf died from a chemical build-up, and there was a fair amount of backlash against what was otherwise a heartbreaking scene. In theory, nature documentaries like Planet Earth I and Blue Planet IT can be powerful agents of conservation, inspiring generations to adopt a more environmentalist mindset. At the same time, the series need to better balance the wonderful and awe- inspiring with the bleak reality that our planet’s biodiversity is facing. The gallery is located on the fourth floor of Douglas College’s New Westminster Campus and is open from 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on weekdays, and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, so even if you can’t attend the reception there’s plenty of opportunity to check out the creative talent of students and staff. past Kam Let ot Meee ements eyes until February 24, 2018.